The Shops Facility of 36,000 sq ft houses trades such as welders, pipe fitters, tinsmiths, carpenters, electricians, painters, and millwrights. Each work area has a common HVAC system supply and general exhaust, with additional local exhaust and ventilation systems as required to meet or exceed current environmental requirements, as well as to provide high levels of comfortable working conditions for the employees.
The Stores Area of 26,000 sq ft is adjacent and connected to the Shops Facility. Extensive use of computerised search and locate is utilised by means of carousel retrieval systems for small parts. Larger items are stored in extensive racking systems up to 24'-0" high and serviced by a multi-purpose high stack fork lift truck which is guided by floor installed cables buried in the concrete slabs.
The entire second floor of 30,000 sq ft accommodates: purchasing offices, stores offices, engineering offices, as well as the electrical and instrumentation shops which are adjacent to the mill operating floor. A fully serviced kitchen and cafeteria, with seating for 150, is also provided on the second floor. The cafeteria has natural lighting giving pleasant viewing of the scenic Welland Canal.
The entire facility was designed and constructed using fast track methods to achieve early occupancy. Construction value of the project was $10.0 million, completed in July 1989.